Three dead in San Antonio plane crash

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Three people were killed when a single-engine plane crashed on a city street one block away from a residential area while attempting to land at San Antonio International Airport, authorities said.

San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said the plane went down around 6:30 p.m. Sunday in an area about a mile west of the airport. Hood said the plane had taken off from Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, and was headed to Boerne, about 30 miles north of San Antonio, when it experienced engine trouble and diverted to San Antonio.

Hood said flight logs indicated there were three people on board the aircraft. Authorities have not yet released the names of those killed.

The Express-News reported that the plane crashed on a street lined with warehouses and several businesses, and apartment buildings and homes are about a block away.

“As you can imagine, we are very fortunate,” Hood said. “This plane could have dropped on (U.S. highway) 281. It could have dropped on an apartment complex.”

Hood said his department will coordinate with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration on the investigation.